Stevia rebaudiana
Stevia
an annual member of the Stevia genus in the family Compositae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Compositae
- Genus
- Stevia
- Life cycle
- annual
- Height
- 0.5 m
- Fertility
- Insects
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Insects
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Leaves - raw or cooked. A very sweet liquorice-like flavour[K]. The leaves contain 'stevioside', a substance that is 300 times sweeter than sucrose[3]. Other reports say that they contain 'estevin' a substance that, weight for weight, is 150 times sweeter than sugar[5][6][7][1]. The dried leaves can be ground and used as a sweetener or soaked in water and the liquid used in making preserves[3]. The powdered leaves are also added to herb teas[3]. The leaves are sometimes chewed by those wishing to reduce their sugar intake[3]. The leaves can also be cooked and eaten as a vegetable[1][2].
- Plant part
- Leaves
- Product or use
- Sweetener
Environment
- Range
- S. America - Brazil, Paraguay.
- Habitat
- Not known
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 9+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - sow spring in a warm greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Make sure the compost does not dry out. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots and grow them on fast, planting them out after the last expected frosts. It could be worthwhile giving them some protection such as a cloche or cold frame for a few weeks after planting them out until they are growing away well.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Prefers a sandy soil, requiring a warm sunny position[4]. Plants are not very frost resistant, but can be grown as half-hardy annuals in Britain, starting them off in a greenhouse and planting them out after the last expected frosts.
References
Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00
Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202